How to sharpen a shovel

A shovel is one of the tools that is often used by land owners. She needs proper care and storage. Regular use reduces the quality of inventory. Sometimes a shovel needs sharpening. The procedure can be carried out on your own using available tools.

How to sharpen a shovel with a file

Files for sharpening have been used since ancient times. This compact-sized equipment is found in most homes. It processes the edge only on the front side.

The advantage of using a file is the ability to control how much of the metal layer is removed. This allows you to maintain the thickness of the planes on the sides and frontal area.

The file does not allow the surface to overheat, so the properties of the metal remain unchanged.

Before starting the process, the shovel must be secured. It is enough to place the blade in a special vice and secure it. You will need a file with a large notch. Start sharpening the leading edge. This is primary processing - rougher. They work only on the front side of the cutting section of the tool. The file is moved from the edge towards the handle.

Then select a tool equipped with a fine notch. They carry out the finishing stage of sharpening. This is done while maintaining an angle of 40–45 degrees.This is the final stage at which it is important to ensure that all treated areas are of the same thickness.

Sharpening a shovel with a grinder

Before using the grinder, you should consider disadvantages of the method. Among them:

1. Electricity is required: the tool runs on mains power.
2. During the process, the metal of the shovel heats up. This reduces the properties of the edge - in the future it will lose its sharpness much faster.
3. Different edge thicknesses. The grinder rotates at high speed, so it is quite difficult to maintain a uniform thickness along the entire edge.
4. Additional surface treatment is required. For this, a file with a fine notch is used. This will make it safer to transport the shovel and prevent the surface from chipping.

Before working with an angle grinder, you should consider the listed disadvantages. The main advantage of the method is speed. The process takes literally a few minutes. The grinding wheel must be directed towards the holder. Only the front part of the inventory is processed.

This method is one of the most dangerous, so safety precautions must be carefully observed. The process consists of the following steps:

1. Fixing the blade in a vice. It should be secured firmly, but not too tightly. It is important not to pinch the blade.
2. The tool disk should rotate towards the handle.
3. When processing the surface, press the disc lightly. You need to try to act evenly.
4. The reverse side needs to be processed using scoop-type shovels. For other cases, the process affects only the external part.

How to sharpen a shovel with an emery machine

The sanding machine has optimal speed and speed for sharpening. Modern models allow you to smoothly adjust the stroke of the tool.When sharpening a shovel, you can independently adjust the desired speed at which the sanding wheel will rotate.

Using heavy abrasive wheels makes the surface more uniform. They are less subject to vibration during operation. The absence of fluctuations allows you to achieve a more accurate size of the removed layer.

The process will be better and more efficient if the shovel is securely fastened. A vice cannot be used. Many modern machine models have special stops. They reduce vibrations in the area being sharpened.

First, rough processing is carried out. It consists of removing the top metal layer, the thickness of which is 0.4 mm. This is necessary to eliminate mechanical damage that occurs during active use of the equipment.

Then the workpiece is rotated at an angle of 40 degrees. They make forward movements, moving up and down. It is necessary to do them evenly over the entire treated area. The process should be continued until the remaining layer has a thickness of 0.5 mm.

The sanding machine heats up the metal surface. To avoid this, It is recommended to periodically water the work area with water. Surface color may change. There is no need to worry, since this is a normal reaction of the metal to the impact placed on it.

After completing the main part of the process, start using the file. You need to take a tool with a fine notch, which will allow you to achieve a more even surface of the shovel. The file removes defects that arise during processing, such as burrs and chips. The final stage is important: without it, the equipment will become dull again and quickly become unusable.

The choice of the appropriate sharpening method depends on the tool that is at hand and the convenience of the person who will carry out the process.

Video: ways to sharpen a tool